Iranian Poets   Shamlou Ahmad Shamlou, prominent Iranian poet, was born in 1925 in Tehran. Shamlou left behind a large body of poetry, literary criticism and translations. Arguably the most important poet and writer since Nima Yushij, Ahmad Shamlou was considered the most important contemporary Iranian poet. Shamlou who spent his childhood in the Khorassan Province, went to high school in Tehran. Publishing cultural and literary periodicals were only one of this diligent poet's jobs. He was the editor-in-chief or director of three periodicals, namely, Khoosheh, Ketab-e Hafteh and Ashena. In his last unfinished book titled "Book of the Alley" he coined several Persian slang now widely used by the public. In the last years of his life he finished a translation of the novel "Tranquil Flows the Donn" by Mikhail Sholokhov that is to be published in the near future. He was regarded by critics not only as Iran's greatest modern poet, but as a poet of world standing, who contributed greatly to the reformation of Persian poetry which started at the beginning of the 20th century. He was particularly highly respected by secular intellectuals. He was a journalist and the editor-in-chief of a literary periodical. He introduced himself to the poetry society by publishing his first collection of poetry, "the Forgotten Songs".     He followed Nima's style and composed contemporary blind poems or Free Verse. "Havay-e Tazeh" (Fresh Air) is a collection of poets, which was the outcome of 10 years' task. This book brought him more fame and presented him as an intellectual poet. He was indefatigably in the search of truth. His next book was "The Mirror Garden". He believes in complete freedom in composition of poems. He believes that a poet's pen must not be tied by any bonds. He must not be restricted to any rules. When he feels the need to express himself through poetry and when a poem is processed in his head, he must reveal it. In other words such restrictions must not bar the composition of poems. He considers himself a poet dedicated to the people. He says a poem must be serving the people and it must be for the people. His third book, "Ayda in the Mirror" reflect the fact that he no longer loves people, instead his fury, bitterness and resentment toward them is revealed. He turns his love instead toward his beloved girl "Ayda". That is when his social poems change direction and composition of romantic poems starts. Here romance, while enjoying a philosophical ideology, reaches its peak.     Shamlou nominated twice for the Nobel Prize. Also, being fluent in French translated some of his own work into this language. He also composed two colloquial poems, Pariya and Mother Sea's Daughters. His other works include: Steel and Emotion, Moments For Ever, Abraham in Fire, A Dagger in a Dish and The Songs in the Alley of Nostalgia. As he was a poet, a writer and a translator, he left behind books both in prose and poetry, including a few novels. Ketab-e Kouche that was long on the top of the best-seller list is a dictionary of colloquial Persian phrases, including idiomatic expressions and slang. This is the first Persian dictionary ever published, which also covers all the indecent vocabulary. He also rewrote Divan-e Hafiz according to his own taste and claimed that it is his own version of Hafiz. Shamlou passed away in summer of 2000 in Tehran at the age of 75, leaving behind a number of great literary works in prose and poetry.